Leviticus 5:11
in Leviticus 5But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, he may bring a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. He must not put olive oil or frankincense on it, because it is a sin offering.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But if his means suffice not for two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, then he shall bring his oblation for that wherein he hath sinned, the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin-offering: he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon; for it is a sin-offering.
KJV
But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering.
⋯
This verse in Leviticus 5
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour
on Leviticus 5:11-13
Below the birds the text goes down to flour, and the offering keeps the name sin offering while carrying no blood at all. No oil and no frankincense go on it, so the two things that make the meat offering of chapter 2 a glad gift are taken out of this one. Hebrews 9:22 says that almost all things are by the law purged with blood, and the word almost is doing work here, since this is the offering the rule steps around. Leviticus gives no reason for the exception, and the priest still burns the handful on an altar that carries blood already.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), not only because this would make it too costly for the poor, for whose comfort this sacrifice was appointed, but because it was a sin-offering, and therefore, to show the loathsomeness of the sin for which it was offered, it must not be made grateful either to the taste by oil or to the smell by frankincense.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord for his sins which he hath sinned--A trespass offering differed from a sin offering in the following respects: that it was appointed for persons who had either done evil unwittingly, or were in doubt as to their own criminality; or felt themselves in such a special situation as required sacrifices of that kind [BROWN].
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Tenth part of an ephah - About three quarts. The ephah contained a little more than seven gallons and a half.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
כמשפט [AND THE SECOND HE SHALL OFFER FOR A BURNT-OFFERING] ACCORDING TO THE REGULATION — according to the law that is mentioned with regard to a free-will burnt-offering of fowls at the beginning of the section (Leviticus:14) (cf. Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d'Chovah, Chapter 18; Chullin 21a).
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
30 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאִם־ | veim- | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| לֹא֩ | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תַשִּׂ֨יג | tasig | it will reach | H5381 → | 50 times |
| יָד֜וֹ | yado | hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| לִשְׁתֵּ֣י | lishtei | to two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| תֹרִ֗ים | torim | turtle-doves | H8449 → | 14 times |
| אוֹ֮ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| לִשְׁנֵ֣י | lishnei | to two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| בְנֵי־ | venei- | young ones of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יוֹנָה֒ | yonah | a dove | H3123 → | 31 times |
| וְהֵבִ֨יא | vehevi' | and he will bring | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| קָרְבָּנ֜וֹ | karebano | present his | H7133 → | 82 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| חָטָ֗א | chata' | he has sinned | H2398 → | 238 times |
| עֲשִׂירִ֧ת | ʾasirit | <the> tenth of | H6224 → | 29 times |
| הָאֵפָ֛ה | haefah | <the> ephah | H374 → | 40 times |
| סֹ֖לֶת | solet | fine flour | H5560 → | 53 times |
| לְחַטָּ֑את | lechatat | to a sin offering | H2403 → | 295 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָשִׂ֨ים | yasim | he will place | H7760 → | 584 times |
| עָלֶ֜יהָ | ʾaleiha | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שֶׁ֗מֶן | shemen | oil | H8081 → | 193 times |
| וְלֹא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִתֵּ֤ן | yiten | he will put | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ | ʾaleiha | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לְבֹנָ֔ה | levonah | frankincense | H3828 → | 21 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| חַטָּ֖את | chatat | [is] a sin offering | H2403 → | 295 times |
| הִֽיא׃ | hi' | it | H1931 → | 1879 times |
וְאִם־and if
veim-H518 →1069 times
לֹא֩not
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תַשִּׂ֨יגit will reach
tasigH5381 →50 times
יָד֜וֹhand his
yadoH3027 →1618 times
לִשְׁתֵּ֣יto two
lishteiH8147 →768 times
תֹרִ֗יםturtle-doves
torimH8449 →14 times
אוֹ֮or
ʾoH176 →321 times
לִשְׁנֵ֣יto two
lishneiH8147 →768 times
בְנֵי־young ones of
venei-H1121 →4930 times
יוֹנָה֒a dove
yonahH3123 →31 times
וְהֵבִ֨יאand he will bring
vehevi'H935 →2568 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
קָרְבָּנ֜וֹpresent his
karebanoH7133 →82 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
חָטָ֗אhe has sinned
chata'H2398 →238 times
עֲשִׂירִ֧ת<the> tenth of
ʾasiritH6224 →29 times
הָאֵפָ֛ה<the> ephah
haefahH374 →40 times
סֹ֖לֶתfine flour
soletH5560 →53 times
לְחַטָּ֑אתto a sin offering
lechatatH2403 →295 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יָשִׂ֨יםhe will place
yasimH7760 →584 times
עָלֶ֜יהָon it
ʾaleihaH5921 →5755 times
שֶׁ֗מֶןoil
shemenH8081 →193 times
וְלֹא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִתֵּ֤ןhe will put
yitenH5414 →2011 times
עָלֶ֙יהָ֙on it
ʾaleihaH5921 →5755 times
לְבֹנָ֔הfrankincense
levonahH3828 →21 times
כִּ֥יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
חַטָּ֖את[is] a sin offering
chatatH2403 →295 times
הִֽיא׃it
hi'H1931 →1879 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 16:18When they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall. Each one gathered as much as he needed to eat.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 8:14–15
At the present time, your surplus will meet their need, so that in turn their surplus will meet your need. Then there will be equality.
- 2 Corinthians 8:14–15
Through
Numbers 5:15then he is to bring his wife to the priest. He must also bring for her an offering of a tenth of an ephah of barley flour. He is not to pour oil over…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 29:16
Egypt will never again be an object of trust for the house of Israel, but will remind them of their iniquity in turning to the Egyptians. Then they will know that I am the…
- 1 Kings 17:18
“O man of God,” said the woman to Elijah, “what have you done to me? Have you come to remind me of my iniquity and cause the death of my son?”
- Hebrews 10:3
Instead, those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins,
- Hosea 3:2
So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley.
- Leviticus 2:1
“When anyone brings a grain offering to the LORD, his offering must consist of fine flour. He is to pour olive oil on it, put frankincense on it,
- Ezekiel 29:16
Through
Exodus 16:36(Now an omer is a tenth of an ephah.)
it leads to
- Exodus 16:16
This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Each one is to gather as much as he needs. You may take an omer for each person in your tent.’”
- Exodus 16:32–33
Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Keep an omer of manna for the generations to come, so that they may see the bread I fed you in the wilderness when I…
- Exodus 16:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Leviticus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Andrew Bonar, A Commentary on Leviticus; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.